3 Ways to Beat Overwhelm

1. Focus on yourself

Make YOU the priority again:

• Stop focusing on all that’s left to do and start focusing on how you can take better care of yourself. Pat yourself on the back for accomplishing all that you have up to that point. If you feel as though you haven’t put forth enough effort, acknowledge the good in wanting to do better.
• Take an intentional break. This doesn’t mean to ignore your responsibilities or lie to yourself that they don’t exist. It means giving yourself space to exist outside of them, detaching from the pressure you’ve been placing on yourself to finish it all. Whether it’s self-care, reaching out to friends, going for a walk, or doing creative journaling, be intentional about recharging.

2. Let it go

Knowing when to ask for help:

• Nobody can do it all, reassess your goals or commitments and see if there is any room to eliminate tasks or delegate them to someone else. You have a set level of mental and emotional energy that you need to use wisely.
• Ask for help from family and friends, or use shortcuts or simplify tasks wherever there’s room. If you need help completing a large project or are just struggling to maintain your day-to-day tasks, you should consider asking for help. Be clear about what exactly you need help with and how long you expect it to take. If you’d rather do it yourself, let go of perfectionism and use shortcuts whenever you are able to.

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3. Start over

Go back to square one:

• Start by looking at the big pictures and write down your biggest goals, projects, or commitments. Then break them down into the smaller tasks you’ll need to complete them. These should be actionable steps that are measurable or that you can hold yourself accountable for.
• The next step is to focus your efforts on the easiest tasks that provide the most progress. If you need help determining what those are, try using the Eisenhower Box method.